In brief
- Royan-based driver Guillaume Noirot, 2025 French champion in the SSV category, steps up to a new dimension this weekend.
- He is lining up in the premier category at the Dunes et Marais rally aboard a Fouquet Nissan buggy from the Hirigoyen family.
- He is teaming up with Cozes-based co-driver Tom Fauconnet, crowned French champion in his discipline.
All-terrain motorsport is set to thrill the Pays Royannais this weekend during the traditional Dunes et Marais rally. For this edition, the eyes of prestige mechanics and performance enthusiasts are turning to a local hero: Guillaume Noirot is lining up on home turf in the premier category at the wheel of an exceptional machine. This event, a true monument of the Charente-Maritime sporting calendar, attracts a considerable crowd of connoisseurs and curious onlookers every year, who come to admire the virtuosity of the crews on particularly selective tracks between land, sand and coastal plains.
The event is part of a long tradition of high-level competitions in the heart of maritime Saintonge. The Saintonge terroir, characterised by its changing topography and wetlands on the edge of the estuary, offers a unique playground in France for all-terrain specialists. The passage of the crews through these singular landscapes requires absolute mastery of trajectories and meticulous management of mechanics, which gives this event a reputation for extraordinary selectivity within the national automotive landscape.
A duo of champions in Pays Royannais
A duo of champions on home turf
Recently crowned 2025 French champion in the SSV (Side by Side Vehicle) category, Royan-based driver Guillaume Noirot, affectionately nicknamed “Guigui” by his peers, has chosen to shake up his habits. For this home meeting, he is preparing to take a major step forward. Guillaume Noirot is teaming up with Cozes-based co-driver Tom Fauconnet, himself crowned French champion in his discipline, thus forming a particularly formidable local crew. This 100% Charente alliance is generating immense enthusiasm among local supporters, proud to see two of their most brilliant ambassadors combine their talents for this major annual meeting.
The understanding between the two men is based on mutual trust, which is essential at this level of competition. The role of the co-driver is particularly crucial on the winding tracks of the Pays Royannais, where the slightest error in assessing the trajectory or the nature of the ground can bring an early end to the race. Tom Fauconnet’s intimate knowledge of the local terrain, combined with Guillaume Noirot’s skill behind the wheel, gives this tandem a natural synergy that is highly promising for tackling the pitfalls of the Saintonge route.
The evolution of the SSV discipline has allowed the emergence of an extremely agile and responsive generation of drivers. These lightweight vehicles, characterised by an exceptional power-to-weight ratio, require very fine driving and a constant capacity for adaptation. By dominating this category at national level, Guillaume Noirot has proven that he possesses the instinct and technical rigour necessary to shine against fierce competition. His transition to the higher category is therefore a logical next step in his career as an outstanding competitor.
The prestige of the Fouquet Nissan in their hands
An exceptional machine for the premier category
To stand out in the premier category, the duo benefits from a first-class machine. They will drive the powerful Fouquet Nissan buggy usually entrusted to Basque driver Mathieu Hirigoyen and made available to them by the Hirigoyen family. This temporary but prestigious transfer offers the reigning champion of the SSV category the opportunity to tame one of the most competitive machines on the national grid. The chassis designed by the Fouquet maison are authoritative in the French all-terrain world, renowned for their geometric rigour, legendary traction and foolproof reliability.
Powered by a Nissan engine carefully prepared to deliver generous torque and linear power, this buggy represents the pinnacle of engineering applied to all-terrain rallies. Unlike SSVs, which rely on lighter and more compact architectures, the premier class buggy demands a different driving style, characterised by greater weight transfers and impressive cornering speeds. Taming such mechanical horsepower on slippery terrain requires great finesse in throttle control and a perfect reading of the relief.
The provision of this vehicle by the Hirigoyen family testifies to the solidarity and mutual respect that reign within the service park of the French Championship. By entrusting this state-of-the-art machine to the Noirot-Fauconnet duo, they not only showcase the potential of this buggy on the technical tracks of Charente-Maritime, but they also offer the local public the spectacle of a top-tier crew with equipment capable of rivaling the benchmarks of the discipline.
The appeal of a new mechanical challenge
While the SSV category has established itself as an excellent school for gaining experience at a controlled cost, the call of power proved irresistible. Guillaume Noirot wishes to test himself against the fastest drivers in the Championnat de France des Rallyes Tout-Terrain (CFRTT). This weekend is above all a real-life learning opportunity, without the pressure of results, under the watchful eye and wise advice of Tom Fauconnet, who is already familiar with the demanding Fouquet buggy. The absence of any obligation for a points result allows the crew to focus fully on understanding the reactions of the chassis.
The transition from an SSV to a premier formula buggy involves many technical adjustments for the driver. Braking reference points must be redefined due to the machine’s higher weight, while managing traction during re-acceleration requires increased sensitivity. Tom Fauconnet, with the experience gained alongside the best specialists in the discipline, will play a valuable guiding role in helping Guillaume Noirot quickly find the right rhythm without crossing the vehicle’s grip limits.
The stakes of this prestigious guest appearance go beyond the simple pleasure of driving. For the SSV champion, it is a matter of gauging his level of performance against the national elite and laying the foundations for a possible evolution of his sporting career towards this major category. Learning will be done step by step, special stage after special stage, accumulating precious kilometres to refine suspension settings and adapt tyre pressures according to weather conditions and track states throughout the weekend.
An expected communion with the local public
Fervour and technicality on the Royan tracks
Excitement is at its peak for the driver, who does not hide his pleasure at competing on his home soil. The Dunes et Marais route offers coastal sections particularly appreciated by the crews for their technicality and high top speed. Supported by Didier Iste and Laurent Fauconnet, who made this participation possible, Guillaume Noirot sets off with a serene mind on a terrain he is particularly fond of, praising along the way the exquisite work carried out by the organization’s teams of volunteers. These passionate people behind the scenes work tirelessly to guarantee public safety and the quality of the tracks.
The winding route through the coastal plains and wooded areas of the Royan hinterland is a true test for the chassis. Dust or mud, depending on the weather at the time, add an extra difficulty for the competitors, who must deal with changing visibility and precarious grip. For Guillaume Noirot, every corner, every bump and every dip in the track are familiar landmarks that will need to be approached with a fresh eye at the wheel of this powerful Fouquet Nissan buggy.
Behind the scenes of high-level preparation
Behind the brilliance of the performances on the track lies meticulous preparation work involving passionate local partners. The active involvement of figures such as Didier Iste and Laurent Fauconnet perfectly illustrates the territorial solidarity that drives motorsport in Charente-Maritime. Their logistical and technical support has made it possible to bring together all the necessary conditions for this exceptional commitment to materialise under the best auspices, allowing the crew to focus exclusively on the sporting aspects and the fine-tuning of the car.
The logistics of such an event also require perfect coordination with local authorities and the municipalities crossed by the rally. Areas reserved for the public are subject to rigorous attention in order to offer a safe and immersive spectacle. The excitement generated by the participation of Guillaume Noirot and Tom Fauconnet promises to attract a very large number of spectators throughout the designated observation areas, reinforcing the festive and popular dimension of this key sporting event in the Royan landscape.
